Quick Hits!

posted by Jay -

Sep 22, 2017

Every weekday at 6:10am, we talk about some current lifestyle stories you might be interested in...here are today's! LISTEN LIVE: www.magic1079.com/listen

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To understand the role gender plays when it comes to education, T. Rowe Price's “2017 Parents, Kids & Money" survey questioned parents of eight to 14 year olds, specifically looking at parents who had either all boys or all girls. 50% of parents with only boys put away money for college, while only 39% of all-girl families did the same. 83% of parents of only boys say they contribute monthly, as compared to only 70% of those with all girls. And that’s not the only gender bias when it comes to higher education. For example:

17% of parents with all boys say they’ll pay for all of their child’s college costs, while only 8% of parents with all girls say the same.

72% of parents with all girls say they would send their kids to a less expensive school to avoid student loans, only 60% of parents of all boys agree.

68% percent of parents with all boys say saving for their kids education is more important than saving for retirement, while only 50% of parents of all girls place more importance on college savings than retirement.

23% of parents of all boys say they’d be okay personally taking out loans of $75K or more for college, while only 12% of all girls families would do it.

The average American watches about 11 hours and 23 minutes of TV a week, with 96% of those people admitting they like to have a snack while doing so. Popcorn is the preferred snack for both fantasy shows, like “Game of Thrones,” and political comedies like “Veep,” while emotional dramas like “This Is Us” pair better with ice cream. Chips are the go-to snack for reality shows like “The Bachelor” and “Dancing with the Stars,” as well as dramas like “Scandal.”

Wish you had skills in the kitchen like the people you see on Food Network? According to award-winning chef and “Top Chef” judge Tom Colicchio, to be a better cook, “you have to cook.” He also says these are the most common mistakes that could be holding us back in the kitchen.

You’re not cooking enough- Practice leads to improvement, so cooking more will help you get better. “It’s muscle memory,” Colicchio explains. “It’s about creating good habits and learning good solid technique and methods.”

You’re forgetting the basics - Our expert says we really don’t need all those intimidating cooking tools, we just need a sharp knife. “Getting comfortable with a knife is really important,” Colicchio says. “Not just for speed, but for precision as well.”

You’re too focused on following recipes- “A recipe’s a guideline” the chef explains. Colicchio advises thinking of the recipe as a “starting point” that you can improvise from. Don’t stress if you’re missing an ingredient or mix up the order of a step, once you know the basics, you can take a recipe and do your own twist on it.

The idea of not having to iron is incredibly appealing, so when we see clothing that’s “wrinkle-free,” we’re all for it. Unfortunately, there’s a chemical used to treat clothes to help reduce wrinkling and shrinking — formaldehyde— and it’s not actually that safe for you.

Formaldehyde is only used in low levels in wrinkle-free clothing, but it has been linked to rashes and headaches. But it is a known carcinogen, which means it could cause cancer and it’s most potent when items are new - you know that new clothes smell? That’s it.

So to safeguard yourself from exposure to formaldehyde, make sure you wash your new clothing before you wear it. And if you order clothes online, open the package in a well-ventilated room because those things have been trapped in there with the chemicals, so they need to air out as much as possible.

You can also shop for brands that don’t use formaldehyde or at least limit how much they use.Eileen Fisher is one line that avoids it in their clothing, so you can feel good about that. And at the very least, make sure you’re washing your new stuff before you wear it!

Trying to get kids to pose for photographs can be harder than herding cats. So here are some tips for taking better shots of your adorable, squirmy, little ones.

Give them something to do - Your kid is bored while you’re fiddling with your camera. Let them do something while they wait - and make it something cute you can score a sweet candid shot of, like blowing bubbles, building with blocks, or throwing leaves up.

Let them hold a toy for comfort- No one likes to wait around to be photographed, especially little ones. So help them feel relaxed by letting them hold a stuffed animal. And when you look back on that pic years later, you’ll remember the times when your tot couldn’t go anywhere without Casey Cat.

Don’t be afraid to get messy - Some of the best pics are the ones that didn’t work as planned. Like when your kid jumps in a puddle or gets birthday cake all over him and everything else. So relax mom, it’s fine if the photo isn’t what you envisioned.

Let them pick their own clothes- Your darling kid will be more relaxed and comfortable if you let her wear her fairy princess dress instead of that new sailor outfit you just bought that’s itchy and stiff. Just roll with it and you’ll get better pictures.

Ask them to tell you a story that makes them laugh - Having them say “cheese” only gets you a forced grin. When you want the real smile, talk about a funny memory or have them tell you a funny story.